The fourth-grader at Banta Elementary School was one of many students who began their lunch with a smile. The meal was part of a new all-natural menu that the Banta School District recently adopted, and its wholesome effects are already squashing hunger.
Students had pasta and pizza on Wednesday, Aug. 15, the first day of school and serving of the new food.
“The other food last year just tasted kind of weird,” said Joseph, 9. “The pizza this year tastes like pizza.”
The three-person school board voted 3-0 on Aug. 9 to approve a one-year contract for food services with Oakland-based Revolution Foods — a company that offers made-daily meals consisting of fresh ingredients, with low sodium and increased nutritional value, according to the company website.
Superintendent Albert Garibaldi said the all-natural selection attracted district officials.
“It seems like the best fit, because it’s all fresh ingredients,” he said.
According to Sally Duquin, food services coordinator at the school, the food is cooked at a distribution center in Oakland and delivered to the school daily. The previous food provider, Preferred Meal Systems, of Berkeley, Ill., would deliver frozen meals that took longer to prepare each day. Now, the food simply needs to be heated in a warmer until it’s ready to be served.
Fresh fruits and a salad bar will still be offered with lunch.
“We never have to freeze anything again — it’s all fresh,” Duquin said. “The kids have really responded well to it. Everyone likes it, and we heard a lot of good things on the first day.”
Amber Anguiano said she prefers the new lunches over the previous year’s options.
“It’s all fresh, and I don’t like the frozen stuff,” said the 11-year-old sixth-grader. “I packed lunch today, but I want to get more of the school food.”
With the expiration of the district’s contract with Preferred Meal Systems set for the end of the 2011-12 school year, the district opened its food contract for bids last summer.
According to Garibaldi, Revolution’s bid came in higher than some, “but a lot lower than others.”
After selecting finalists for the contract, district officials had a taste test with parents and students in the spring.
“Everyone seemed to like Revolution for its freshness and quality,” Garibaldi said. “So we knew it had a good chance of working when we approved the contract.”
But with better quality comes a higher price.
Janet Gregory, business coordinator for the district, said the new program will cost $145,000 — about a $22,000 increase over the previous provider. But that could be offset depending on participation levels, she said.
The price for a regular lunch increased 75 cents to $3, while breakfast held steady at $1.25, according to Garibaldi. The school, with a student enrollment of 325, serves about 240 hot lunches a day, he said.
Price increases, however, won’t affect students participating in the free and reduced-cost lunch program, because the cost still falls under federal reimbursement levels, Garibaldi said.
“Ultimately, we chose Revolution Foods based on the quality price and delivery,” he said. “We decided it was the best fit, and we’re excited about the healthiness that our students are going to get for the price.”
After this school year, the district will have the option to renew its contract with Revolution, Gregory said. A bidding process is only required every four to five years, she noted.
I will also comment about cookin, or rather warmin up these meals in their individually packaged plastic containers which may contaminate food but fer certain adds ta th trash disposal problem, as I am certain these containers are not reused.
Then thairs a shippin cost ta get th food ta th students, assumin they are not cooked an packaged on site, which I am shore they aren't.
Seems ta me a dietitian with several cook/helpers could easily do th same thang an not have ta resort havin ta have it prepared in Oakland or Berkley an then truck it out ta Tracy fer it ta be consumed.
Na, it's a matter of convenience regardless of cost an health don't really have all that much ta do with it because th district could do th same thang right in th school fer a much lower cost. But that would require a little effort an not be so convenient.
I graduated years ago from a high school in a big city that had over 1,200 students.
Funny thang too, th kids back then were in better physical shape than most of em taday. Wonder how they did that without havin ta have contractor meals brought inta th school environment.
If you did you would not be typing like a cowboy.
Or maybe you are just a poseur trying too hard?
The latter was always my guess.
Nice ta have someone around like ya ta tell me what I did an did not do. I would thank that with a mind like yers ya wouldn't have ta comment on anythang as ya already knew it.
Do ya actually believe that kids frum th country don't go ta big city schools? Ever hear of 4H? Don't know if they still do but Tracy High use ta have a 4H club. Whair do ya thank those animals were raised, in th city?
Tell ya what bunkey, th city I went ta school in was larger than San Francisco. Gettin thair frum home posed a little problem, since it was 45 miles away frum th house. I suppose th several hundred other students that had similar circumstances didn't go thair either.
Still livin in Tracy Chris or just here ta stir up trouble like ya have a history of?